60 Years Of Porsche Milestones
Here's the second press release I came across at Porsche Cars North America. Some great milestones over the past 60 years.
Porsche Marks its 60th Anniversary Year With a Road Trip Past Major Milestones
ATLANTA—August 13, 2010—Over the past 60 years, the Porsche family tree has spread strong and deep roots in American soil. During this time, the company’s product portfolio has also grown, from just one model—the legendary 356—to 30 current variants, including the new Panamera four-door sports sedan. In addition to product milestones, countless other markers have signaled PCNA’s U.S. achievements, from early victories on the country’s most famous race tracks to major sales successes and awards.
Today, as Porsche celebrates its 60th anniversary in America, let’s revisit some of the highlights that have distinguished Porsche’s journey. Here are just a few annotated events from Porsche’s American history book, beginning with one man’s passion for a singular German sports car.
- 1950: Austrian turned New Yorker Max Hoffman, who already established a successful European import business with his Hoffman Motor Cars, introduces the first-ever Porsche 356 to America. Hoffman knows that American servicemen who served overseas in WWII developed a passion for European sports cars. While Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche hopes Hoffman might sell five Porsches a year, Hoffman explains: “If I cannot sell 5 per week, then I’m not interested in the business.”
- 1950: The first three Porsches arrive on American soil. Two are delivered to a gentleman racer who would become the patron of American sports car racing, Briggs Cunningham. The third remains with its importer, Max Hoffman—who goes on to win the “Most Interesting Car” award at the 1950 Watkins Glen Concours d‘Elegance in September.
- 1951: Fellow Austrian Expatriate Johnny von Neumann, owner of Competition Motors in Los Angeles, introduces Porsche to Southern California after a visit to Hoffman in New York City. Von Neumann counts many celebrities as clients, including James Dean, and helps turn California into the single largest market for Porsche.
- 1952: The birth of today’s Porsche logo occurs when Dr. Ferry Porsche visits Hoffman in New York City. Porsche sketches the crest for the state of Baden-Württemberg with the black prancing horse from Stuttgart’s coat of arms. He adds the word Porsche across the top.
- 1953: An exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art opens featuring 10 automobiles, including a 1952 Porsche 1500 Super.
- 1954: The first Porsche appears at the New York Auto Show, marking Porsche’s entry into the mainstream American car culture. Max Hoffman is now selling 11 Porsches per week, totaling 30 percent of all of Porsche’s global sales.
- 1955: The Porsche Club of America (PCA) is established after only five years of Porsche in America.
- 1956: The first Porsche Parade is held at the Washingtonian Hotel in Maryland just outside the nation’s capital. Sixty-four PCA members attend.
- 1958: The first vertical-drive inline German engine was displayed at the New York Auto Show.
- 1959: Porsche of America Corporation (PoAC) was established in Teaneck, NJ after it became evident that a single corporate entity was needed to import, service and market the German marque. Nearly 50 percent of all Porsches manufactured were being imported to America by this time.
- 1960: Porsche claims overall victory at The 12 Hours of Sebring with its 718 RS 60 racecar. This marks one of the first substantial American victories for Porsche.
- 1963: The venerable Porsche 911 is introduced marking a new era of performance sports cars in America.
- 1968: Porsche achieves first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona with the Type 907-8.
- 1969: More than 100 new Porsche dealerships open simultaneously in the U.S. as part of a planned marketing campaign heralding the popularity of the brand.
- 1969: Porsche partners with Volkswagen to build the 914. 250,000 units were sold in the U.S. over its production run.
- 1971: The first-ever Porsche driving school, a precursor to the current Porsche Sport Driving School, is held in Long Island.
- 1974: The remarkable Porsche 911 Turbo is introduced making an already-capable performer even more accomplished. The 911 Turbo has remained Porsche’s halo car ever since.
- 1979: Actor Paul Newman wins second place at LeMans in a Porsche 935 Turbo. Newman’s fascination with Porsche and racing garners new enthusiasts and further establishes Porsche as a serious sports car.
- 1983: Porsche places 1-2-3 at Daytona filling the winners podium for the first time in America.
- 1983: The Porsche 928S is the fastest car sold in North America.
- 1984: Porsche Cars North America is established and remains the sole importer of Porsche vehicles for the United States.
- 1996: The Porsche Boxster is introduced with U.S. demand exceeding all expectations.
- 1998: Porsche introduces water-cooled engines in the 911 after 35 years.
- 1998: Porsche Cars North America moves its office from Reno, NV to Atlanta, GA.
- 2000: Porsche wins the GT Class in the American LeMans Series.
- 2002: Porsche puts the “sport” into sport utility and launches the first-ever Porsche SUV, the Cayenne. The Cayenne becomes the best-selling Porsche in America.
- 2004: Porsche introduces the Carrera GT super car with a mid-engine 5.7L V10.
- 2006: The Porsche RS Spyder LPM2 claims class championship in the American LeMans Series.
- 2009: The four-door Porsche Panamera is introduced with resounding success and tops the Cayenne as best-selling Porsche in America.
- 2010: The largest Porsche dealership in North America, Jack Daniels Motors in Upper Saddle River, NJ, opens it doors, featuring 25,000 square feet of space and a showroom that can present 30 models.
- 2010: Nearly 2000 Porsche Club of America members attend the PCA’s 55th Annual Porsche Parade in St. Charles, IL.
About Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga., is the exclusive importer of Porsche vehicles for the United States. It is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing.h.c. F. Porsche AG. PCNA employs 213 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 199 dealers. The dealers, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service. Throughout its more than six-decade history, Porsche has developed numerous technologies that have advanced vehicle performance, improved safety and spurred environmental innovations within the automotive industry. The company continues to celebrate its heritage by adding to its long list of motorsports victories dating back to its first 24 Hours of Le Mans class win in 1951. Today, with more than 28,000 victories, Porsche is recognized as the world's most successful brand in sports car racing. PCNA, which imports the iconic 911 series, the highly acclaimed Boxster and Cayman mid-engine sports cars, high-end Cayenne sport utility vehicles and the four-door Panamera Gran Turismos, strives to maintain a standard of excellence, commitment and distinction synonymous with its brand.
[Source & Image: Porsche Cars North America]
Porsche: View From The Cultural Rearview Mirror
This is probably going to seem a bit strange, but I ran across 2 cool press releases today that I found to be pretty interesting. Rather than try and do some fancy re-write, I'm just posting them up in their original form here.
The first is a look at Porsche's representation in art, film and music in America.
Porsche Cars North America Celebrates its 60th Anniversary with a Look into the Cultural Rearview Mirror
ATLANTA—August 13, 2010—-American automotive enthusiasts have been passionate about Porsche since the nimble German sports car first arrived on U.S. soil in 1950. As a testament to its immediate appeal, American demand ensured that over half of Porsche’s entire global production was allocated to the U.S. just a few years after its debut. Since then, America’s passion for Porsche has only grown. Along the way, “The Coolest Brand in America,” as Kelley Blue Book recently called it, has inspired the devotion of generations of drivers—and earned a recurring role in American culture.
While American automotive enthusiasts have always rallied around Porsche for its dominance on the world’s great race tracks, it is the brand’s multitude of American film appearances that helped establish the brand as an object of desire.
Movies like Risky Business certainly contributed. No other movie has ever captured the grueling trials a teenager is willing to endure to repair a beloved automobile as when Tom Cruise inadvertently deposited his father’s pristine 928 into Lake Michigan. Only a few years later, a 356A Speedster was the setting for one of the silver screen’s most romantic scenes, featuring Cruise and Kelly McGillis in Top Gun. Porsche also accompanied more eclectic couples: Diane Keaton and Woody Allen drove her brother’s 911 in Annie Hall.
Other prominent Porsche movie moments included the opening scene of 2000’s Gone in 60 Seconds where a brand new 911 is stolen straight from the showroom floor and driven through a plate-glass window, only to shame another driver a moment later during a street race. On the slower side, even Reese Witherspoon had the good taste to drive a Boxster—even if her Legally Blonde wardrobe couldn’t live up to her choice of automobile.
Porsche has also been celebrated in song. Despite the title of Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz,” her friends did all drive Porsches. And, Joplin actually owned a 1965 356C Cabriolet that she had painted in ‘60s psychedelic fashion. The car became quite famous in its own right and can still be seen on display at various art and auto museums throughout the country. Porsche also inspired Will Smith’s early hit “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” in which he tells the story of a teenager sneaking his parents’ Porsche out for the evening.
It wasn’t long after its U.S. debut that Porsche design inspired the attention of the art world. In 1953, just three years after Porsche’s introduction to America, the Museum of Modern Art included a 1952 Porsche 1500 Super in one of its exhibits. Today, the Porsche Design subsidiary works with some of the leading brands in the world, influencing products such as high-performance ADIDAS running shoes. Another example is Tag Heuer, the respected high-end watch company, which produces several Porsche-inspired timepieces. And, with gaming now firmly entrenched in American culture, kids of all ages can race their virtual 911GT3 on Forza Motorsport 3, with the specially-designed Porsche steering wheel firmly in hand.
Fame has never been a prerequisite to Porsche ownership—but a genuine love for driving has. That’s why Porsche has always created a special bond between owners, whether they are high-profile or everyday enthusiasts. Stars with a passion for the brand include the legendary Paul Newman, an active Porsche racer in the early 1970s, who also owned several models. In fact, Robert Redford once gave Paul Newman a wrecked Porsche as a gag gift because he was tired of hearing about Newman’s racing experiences. Newman promptly had it crushed and deposited in Redford’s living room.
As a six-decade veteran of America’s love affair with the automobile, never has Porsche proven its real character more credibly than on the race track. Porsche has won more Rolex Series races than any other manufacturer ever, having claimed its 58th class victory in April 2010. It has also won more GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge races than any other manufacturer both in overall and class victories. In 2008, Porsche was the most successful manufacturer in the ALMS Series.
“The American chapter of our history book started with one man’s vision and passion just 60 years ago,” said Detlev Von Platen, president and CEO, Porsche Cars North America. “Since then, hundreds of thousands of Porsches have been delivered to U.S. owners, a real testament that automotive passion is alive, and thriving in every corner of the country.”
About Porsche Cars North America, Inc
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga., is the exclusive importer of Porsche vehicles for
the United States. It is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing.h.c. F. Porsche AG. PCNA employs 213
people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 199 dealers. The dealers, in
turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service. Throughout its more than six-decade history, Porsche has
developed numerous technologies that have advanced vehicle performance, improved safety and spurred
environmental innovations within the automotive industry. The company continues to celebrate its heritage by
adding to its long list of motorsports victories dating back to its first 24 Hours of Le Mans class win in 1951. Today,
with more than 28,000 victories, Porsche is recognized as the world's most successful brand in sports car racing.
PCNA, which imports the iconic 911 series, the highly acclaimed Boxster and Cayman mid-engine sports cars,
high-end Cayenne sport utility vehicles and the four-door Panamera Gran Turismos, strives to maintain a
standard of excellence, commitment and distinction synonymous with its brand.
[Source & Image: Porsche Cars North America]
Porsche 911 GT2 RS Description Video
This is a great video with a semi-detailed description of the features of the new Porsche 911 GT2 RS. There's some good driving footage with an interesting perspective camera mounted on the roof of the car. That's one heck of a tight track.
Weekly Porsche Wrap
Porsche searches for oldest Porsche in the U.S. – Brad, a long time PorschePerfect.com reader, sent me a link to this last week (thanks Brad!). I'd just read the same thing myself. This is a great little celebration Porsche is doing in honor of their 60 year anniversary of their cars being in America. They're looking for the oldest Porsche here in the States. The selected winner will receive among other things, a special badge from the Porsche Museum, a photo of the car included in the American exhibit in Stuttgart, and possible inclusion in the Porsche exhibit at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Check out this link for more info: Porsche 60.
Sir Stirling Moss racing at Monterey in a 1961 Porsche RS 61 Spyder – I love this story. It seems racing legend Sir Stirling Moss bought himself a 1961 Porsche RS 61 Spyder earlier this year. The 80 year old race car driver who raced in a 1960 Porsche RS 60 in 1961, nearly clinching the Targa Florio, has been looking for one ever since. He paid $1.705 million for one of only 14 RS 61 Spyders developed for the 1961 season. "To have Sir Stirling make his return to racing at Mazda Raceway is an honor," said Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. "It will be a wonderful treat for our fans to see him in his first drive in his newly acquired race car, and equally so for his competitors who are in the same group." [Via Automobilemag.com]
2012 Porsche 911 details starting to circulate – Although not drastically changed from an appearance standpoint, the new model seems to be significantly changed. The biggest improvements appear to be an updated exterior with a slightly longer wheelbase, increased quality of the interior with a more refined layout and some performance upgrades along with weight saving measures. Specifically in the power department, the 3.6 liter engine will produce 365 hp and 295 lb ft in the Carrera with the 3.8 liter engine pumping out 415 hp and 325 lb ft in the Carrera S. Other changes are on top as well. [Via Examiner.com]
Porsche 911 Carrera 4S vs. Porsche Cayenne Turbo
Every time I come across a video like this, it makes me want a Porsche Cayenne Turbo. Some day I'm going to own one of those. At least for a short period. See for myself if it lives up to all the hype of reviewers and owners.
This video is an interesting pairing of a Porsche Cayenne Turbo against a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. Track times are surprisingly close.
Porsche Story: Memories Of A Porsche 356
This is a great story I read on a NY Times blog. It details the adventure of one Porsche fanatic from driving a 1961 Beetle, pretending it was a Porsche, to the acquisition of the gorgeous 1965 356 pictured above. Definitely worth the quick read here: Memories of a Porsche 356.
[Image: Fred Heiler]
Pictures From Limerock
James O ended up at Limerock a couple of weekends ago and came across some very cool Porsches. I love the yellow one. Thanks for sending them James!
Misha Design Spices Up The Porsche 911 Turbo
Misha, a Porsche tuner I hadn't previously heard of, has released a new kit for the Porsche 911 Turbo (997). It's a body kit that has a number of different options depending on your budget and desired outcome. Here's a quick list of what they replace:
- Add-on Wing
- Front Bumper
- Hood
- Rear Bumper
- Side Skirts
I kind of like the look of the kit. It reminds me of a race car setup with the low skirting and overall lines. The color above is not my favorite, but I bet this would look great in black or even silver. This one kind of looks like a bumble bee.
I couldn't find costs immediately available for the parts, but Misha Design claims that one of their goals it to offer affordable components to Porsche tuning shops. If the parts were well made and reasonably priced, I would think these guys would get some traction among Porsche enthusiasts.
If you're unfamiliar with Misha, here's a little blurb about them from their site:
Misha Porsche body kit company was established 6 years ago and produces the highest-quality body kits to transform Porsche from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Recognized in the Porsche community for excellence in design, quality workmanship and outstanding service, we are dedicated to creating your dream machine.
Misha company is the result of Misha Rade Djordjevic’s extraordinary passion for designing unique and visionary parts for Porsche. What started as a passion quickly turned from a hobby into a thriving business. Misha designs and creates most of the parts for his own Porsche first and only sells parts that he himself would use.
His Porsche transformations have been featured in popular car magazines, car shows and internet forums, and have earned him a reputation in the Porsche community for excellence in design, quality workmanship and outstanding service. From 2004 cars with Misha parts were at SEMA show every year.
Today Misha offers exceptional, innovative wings and body kits to enthusiasts at affordable prices and also supplies parts to many Porsche tuning shops and dealers in US and worldwide.
Misha Design also provides kits for several other Porsche models as well as other makes. Check out their site here: Misha Designs.
[Source & Image: Misha Designs]
Fanatec Does The Racing Wheel ONE BETTER!!!
You may recall my review about a month and a half ago of the Fanatec Porsche 911 Turbo S Racing Wheel. If you didn't catch the drift of my review, I absolutely LOVED the wheel setup and felt it was the best I'd ever tried. As crazy as this may sound, Fanatec has outdone themselves with yet another wheel and pedal setup I've been playing with lately. It's the Fanatec Porsche 911 GT3 RS Wheel.
I'll sum this review up for you in two words: sweet MOTHER! The 911 GT3 RS wheel does the Fanatec Porsche 911 Turbo S Racing Wheel one better. In fact, in my previous review, I said, "I don't love this wheel. I'm IN LOVE with this wheel." All I can seem to come up at this point is I want to MAKE LOVE to this wheel, but that just seems too crude. Yes, it's that amazing!
Now, before you dismiss me as some crazy psycho who really should get out more often before I stoop to defiling video game controllers, realize that I'm not a big game junkie. I really don't play games all that much, and will usually just pick up whatever my teenage son wants to play on any given day mostly because I want to hang out with him doing something he loves. Also, I wasn't paid for this review. I just got the wheel and pedal setup to try out. So these are my true feelings.
The question on your mind at this point may be, "What makes this wheel so amazing?" Aside from it being technically as good of a wheel as I could imagine getting my hands on, what separates this from the Turbo S wheel for me is the styling. The wheel has a cool orange casing on the back, which makes me think of that orange Porsche 911 GT3 RS from ads and magazine spreads. What's more, the wheel is wrapped in 100%, identical, ALCANTARA leather. Just like the real thing. The feel of this wheel enhances the entire gaming experience. When I first opened the box and pulled out the wheel, I made everyone in my family take a turn gripping it. THIS is what a racing wheel should "feel" like.
Fanatec also sent me the Clubsport Pedal Kit. It's an all aluminum pedal setup with pressure sensitive brake pedal using an indestructible magnetic precision sensor under each pedal. The brake pedal even has ABS vibration.
Here are some highlights of the wheel and pedals:
- Original Porsche 911 GT3 RS steering wheel design
- Hand stitched leather wheel manufactured according to Porsche quality standards using original ALCANTARA® leather made in Italy
- Compatible with PC and all PlayStation®3 games which support Force Feedback
- 3 x adjustable paddle shifter styles including Clubsport paddle shifters made of aluminum
- Extra large wheel rim diameter (300 mm)
- Turning angle can be adjusted in the wheel to 90° to 900° in steps of 10° independent from the game
- Powerful Mabuchi RS 550 Motor as used in RC cars delivers extra strong Force Feedback effects
- Extra smooth and silent belt drive without mechanical dead zone
- High resolution wheel sensor
- Fully adjustable including ForceFeedback strength, steering angle, damper strength and linerarity of the steering axis
- Clubsport pedals made of aluminum
- Pressure sensitive load cell sensor
- Maximum brake force adjustable
- Contactless magnetic sensors for gas and clutch with unlimited lifetime
- Vibration motor on brake pedal to indicate blocking tires
- Adjustable spring strength
- Adjustable pedal travel
Needless to say, this is a heck of a setup. I tried this wheel on a PC with Need For Speed: Shfit, so that I could do a side-by-side comparison against the Turbo S wheel. I was not the least bit disappointed. Game play was exactly like the Turbo S wheel. I do enjoy playing a bit more on a gaming system than a PC, but that's just my personal preference. The wheel was very responsive. There was sufficient resistance when turning to simulate actual driving and the force feedback effects were spot on. It offered more adjustments than I cared to mess with. Just simply awesome.
Of the two wheels, the GT3 RS is definitely my favorite. I love the ALCANTARA wrapped wheel. Now I'm ready to get my hands on a racing cockpit setup and use this wheel and pedal combo as the basis. In fact, I've been watching Craigslist for a Porsche 911 seat. I thought it'd be fun to try and put together a racing system with some genuine Porsche parts.
If you haven't had the chance to try a Fanatec wheel, try one. You WILL NOT be disappointed. It's as close to the real thing as I can hope to get and enhances any driving game experience. Trust me, you'll be thanking me once you "take" just one lap with this baby.
Check out the Fanatec site for more info on this and other wheels here: Fanatec Racing Wheels.
Weekly Porsche Wrap
Gansevoort Hotels cart VIP guests around in style – The Gansevoort Hotel Group in New York City decided that they needed to kick their in-town car service and airport transportation up a notch. What better way than to car their VIP guests around in a Porsche Panamera 4S! With all of the luxury hotels vying for your business, this is definitely taking things to a new level in a small way. Would swing me to give them a shot. [Via PRNewsWire.com]
Porsche puts together 60 years of car highlights for the 2010 Monterey Classic Car Weekend – Porsche is going to showcase a number of cars during Monterey this year. Included are the new 918 Spyder Hybrid, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid racecar and the Cayenne S Hybrid. A great trio to witness. Also part of the line-up to be on display are 1955 and 1958 356 Speedsters, a 1960 356 B Carrera 2000 GS Carrera GT and a 1962 356 Carrera 2 Cabriolet. Of course newer models will also be represented. Anyone hitting Monterey this year…I'd love to have some pics for the blog! [Via Press.Porsche.com]
The coolest pocket knife you'll ever carry – Porsche Design just makes dang cool stuff. This time, it's the sexy P'3711 pocket knife. Created in partnership with Wenger, the Swiss Army Knife manufacturer, this little beauty comes in either the silverish edition pictured or a black version. All the major functions are covered and they come in one sexy design. I've always loved pocket knives. Guess it's the kid in me that never really grew up. Course $210 will require the adult in me to pull out the plastic. [Via BeautifulLife.info]
